The Ryukaki Connection
by Rixaka
Summary: College student Kayd Hendricks just hit the jackpot and by jackpot, he means an affordable house. But is this a stroke of good luck or some demented twist of fate?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: The original basis for this Fan-Fiction was written by Jadusable. The title of his work is commonly known as: The Haunted Majora's Mask Cartridge which can be found on .net and .net/t338-important-yshdtnet-is-down-here-s-why-how-to-fix-it-and-saved-htmls . I do not make claim to, or own any of the characters or the story.

Please support Jadusable!

Chapter 1

Something about the old house had always unnerved him. It might have been the crook of the tree or the odd asymmetrical feel of the door and its half sunken, cracking steps. There really wasn't much to complain about though, especially for a college guy with a tiny budget. The old owner had up and sold the place pretty cheap, especially for a well kept, one bed, one bath,house. Not much renovating was needed to make the house feel homey, just a couple of coats of paint to clean up the beaten down walls and some replacements for the lights.

He guessed luck stroke at the oddest of times. A shrug. Beggars can't be choosers, or so went the old adage. What was it…few days ago that he had found the place? The old man had been on his lawn again, sitting in the chair trying to sell away whatever junk he had. It wasn't the random assortment of odds and ends that caught his attention but, rather, the orange and black sign pitched on the lawn. A short exchange had followed about the sign, and then the house in question and, what seemed like either a miracle or magic, Kayd's mortgage went through and the house was his in days.

When he had first moved in, Kayd had found the stupid lawn chair and table on the lawn. The old man hadn't bothered to clean up after himself and it was a little annoyance that was peeking at the back of his mind. From the distance of the sidewalk, Kayd surveyed the spectacle. A range of assorted items were around it, seemingly discarded but not pillaged. A stray lamp, some, for lack of a better word, unusual posters and a stack of books dishevelled, dumped on the table or blown to sorts by the wind. Guess the guy had to have been in a hurry to move out.

Not that he had much use for the items, but he couldn't very well leave the mess on his lawn and the garbage truck wouldn't be around until Monday. So, with a sigh, Kayd walked over to the table.

The contents of the box he carried varied between paper back and hard cover novels, not that he found any of particular interest. The box wasn't too heavy either although the desk would be rather tricky, trying to manoeuvre it through the tiny front door. How the old man managed to get this outside puzzled him.

Propping open the front door with his elbow, Kayd led himself into the tiny house. From the entrance he walked into the house and dropped the box on the dining room table. The sudden cracking sound made Kayd double-take, twisting on the ball of his heel to examine the table. No harm done. Must have been his imagination. He was probably still getting used to the odds and ends of the place. No worries. After reassuring himself that the table wasn't going to collapse on him, Kayd made his way back to the front of the building. To much of his dismay, a cruel wind had picked up the posters and scattered them across his lawn and the next door neighbour's. With a grunt, he stalked over to the mess and began to collect the sheets.

"What'er you doing over there?" asked an unfamiliar voice, "need some help?"

Kayd straightened himself after collecting one of the various posters and turned his attention towards the neighbour's porch. The balding man was of a chubby weight. He had his hands planted on his hips while he over looked the lawn.

"No thanks," Kayd replied as he returned to his work. Something about his neighbour irritated him. And, much to his discontent, the man waltzed down from the porch and planted himself firmly on the opposing lawn.

"New guy, huh?" he asked with a husky, downtrodden voice, "just moved in?"

"Yup," Kayd replied, keeping his eyes off of the man and on the ground.

"Welcome to the neighbourhood, I'm Henry, Henry Butcher. And you are…?"

The response came slowly and with a hint of exasperation from the young man, "Kayd Hendricks. Just moved in yesterday."

"Well nice you meet you Kayd-" the sentence was cut short by the man, his eyes suddenly glued to his silver wrist watch. "Oh look at the time," he said absentmindedly as if he had no real place to be or to go to, "gotta head out or I'll be late! Nice talkin' to you Kayd and look, if you ever need something, help, anything, don't be afraid to give me a holler!" he finished, overly cheerful, kind of like that suburban paradise guy from one of the real estate commercials.

"Yeah. Thanks, I'll let you know if anything comes up," replied Kayd as removed his eyes to watch Henry half smile before waddling off to the garage.

Keeping his opinions to himself, Kayd shook his head, collected the remaining posters and headed back to the house. He would move after lunch.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Well that settled that. The desk was half way up the steps with no possible way of getting through the front door. In other words, he was trapped…if only barred from one exit. It was frustrating, to say the least. It was time to call in some back up.

Kayd stumbled over the unpacked boxes as he made his way to the kitchen in order to reach the built in wall phone. Whereupon taking the phone, he dialled the number of one of his closest friends and pressed it to his ear.

"Hello?" asked a familiar, weighty voice.

"Yo, can you come over?"

"Kayd? Hey dude, how's it going? Moved into the new house all right?"

"Yeah, I guess. If you called trapped in the house with a desk blocking the front door moved in," he bantered. "Mind coming over and giving me a hand? The stupid thing won't budge."

"Sure man, hold up. I'll be over in a few minutes okay?"

"Gotcha. See you soon."

With that the receiver clicked audibly as Kayd hung up the phone. Guess there wasn't much he could do other then shuffle boxes onto boxes and clear the narrow hallways. Eh, he'd do that later. Right now he wanted to check out what was on the tv-scratch that, he wanted to see if this old house had internet access.

Several minutes of fiddling with the computer hook up, and Kayd's computer was turning on for the first time since the move, just in time for the sound of the back door opening. A grunt and a sigh. He pushed himself out of his computer chair and began to head to the back when he heard the sound of his friend's voice calling him.

"Yo Kayd! Get your ass over here!"

"Hold your horses, I'm coming!" Kayd shouted back as he slipped through the narrow hallway to greet his old friend.

"Looks like you've gotten yourself into a bit of a sticky mess," the friend chuckled.

"No kidding. Mind giving me a hand or are you just going to stand there?" Kayd asked as he stuffed his hands into his pockets and made for the back door.

"Sure dude, whatever you say."

The two had taken their sweet time trying to fix the situation with the front door. Eventually they had adjusted the angles enough to make the move work and sure enough, the desk was planted in the living room. While Kayd dusted his hands from the grime from the desk, his friend roamed the house. A raid was in order, one on the refrigerator. The slick sound of popping metal echoed through the house with a carbonized 'click'. Kayd, after having washed his hands, joined the other in the kitchen. It seemed to be that he had already helped himself to the case of twenty three Budlights. Kayd shrugged it off and helped himself to one of the cool beers.

"I'm surprised you managed to find a place so soon," responded the shorter of the two.

"Yeah. Place was a steal if you ask me. The old man was practically giving it away," Kayd remarked as he chugged half the can.

"Nice neighbourhood?"

"Decent. The next door neighbour…what's his face…Henry. He's a bit of an odd ball if you ask me. Kind of weird. Then again, I don't really know anyone else on the street."

"Good thing too-"

"What do you mean about that?" Kayd replied, cocking an eye brow.

"If it's anything like those suburban commercials, they'd been choking you with welcome baskets," the shorted chuckled before downing the last sip of his beer. "Come on, you know I'm only kidding. Anyways, got the xbox hooked up yet?"

"Nope. I've been moving boxes around for the past two days, you know, get things organized and what not."

"Bummer. Wanna set it up now? Get in some Modern Warfare action before I head out?"

"Sure, whatever," Kayd replied as he tossed the empty can in the trash. "Going to need to set up the tv first. Coming?"

"Yup," replied the friend as he tossed his own can. "Lead the way."

Damn thing wouldn't work. Power socket must have burst, or at least that was Kayd's initial thoughts. Both displeased with the lack of television, the guys decided to hang around the living room depraved of furniture for an hour or so. After that, Kayd walked his friend to the door and they exchanged brief 'goodbyes' and 'see you tomorrow's'.

Alone. Alone at last? He had the place to himself now but the uneasiness of it was settling in on him. Shoving the unnerving feelings aside, Kayd focused on the swelling hunger in his gut. And, from the looks of the barren cupboard, the stock pile of ramen would have to do for tonight's dinner. Guess the 'rent's care kit came in handy.

After dumping tap water into the bowl, Kayd turned his attention to the microwave. That was odd. The counter had rest, like it normally does after a power surge or black out. 88:88. He could only assume the power had fluctuated within the house. Damn, if that were the case he might just have gotten ripped out of some money, hell he'd be paying more in repairs than on the actual mortgage. Exasperated, Kayd hit the stop button, shoved the soaking noodles and bowl into the microwave and then keyed in the timer. The sound of the electrical device kicked up and hummed as it rotated the food. Two minutes remained. Good grief he was starving.

Two minutes passed. The bowl was hot and Kayd had to juggle it from one hand to the either to avoid melting his hands off. He was on his way to his bedroom where the computer laid.

Upon putting the cooling noodles down on the table top, Kayd started up the unit and sat down in his seat. He poked at the instant food with a plastic fork as the screen lit from black to the common colour of Windows Vista. Background came up and then the internet symbol. Cursing his mouse over to the internet connection, Kayd clicked it open and examined the list of connections available. To his dismay, the current company was not supplying him with internet. Damn-wait. The flicker of a new server emerged. Unprotected. Perfect. A smooth smile and a chuckle escaped on to his lips. 'Dumbasses,' he thought smugly as he connected to the free link. He assumed the neighbours wouldn't mind. It would only be for a few days anyways.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The damn internet had never managed to stay too long. At least that's what Kayd managed to curse after the internet cut him off for the second time that day. Go fucking figure.

Unimpressed, Kayd had removed himself from the computer and the endless games of solitaire to throw out the leftover broth of cold ramen noodles and toss the fork in the sink for later washing.

The clatter of silverware in the metal sink caused Kayd to cringe and, as if on cue, the lights in the tired white kitchen flickered and cut out completely. What the fuck. This so called 'sweet deal' he had been bragging about was turning out to be more work than it was worth. He sighed deeply, trudged around the house for a few moments before coming to the conclusion that he would have to go out and get some light bulbs to replace the burn out one. This place was going to be marking him up in debt soon if things kept breaking on him.

Really, there wasn't anything he could do other then tend to the demanding house. With little hesitation, Kayd stumbled to the back of his house, closed the door over and grabbed his bike. The only convenience of a trip to the store was that it was close by. A couple blocks down the street and he would be able to pick up some junk food and maybe some form of entertainment besides the computer. It would have to be a quick trip though, the sky was looking pretty dismal…

"Huh…" "Rain wasn't forecasted for tonight," he thought out loud.

Parking his bike on the sidewalk of the property, Kayd strolled into the 'charming' little convenience store. Yellow washed walls, retro black tiles, hell the place was reminding him more of a morgue than a stop in. The thought barely appealed to him. He guided his eyes along the rows of products stacked along their white painted shelves.

"Light bulbs first," Kayd thought as he moved through the maze of half walls, trying to located the appliances section of the store. Back wall. That took him a few minutes. After sizing up the right package, Kayd made his way over to the chips and pop section of the store.

The shelving unit was lined with many colourful bags. A quick one over and he snatched up a bag of regular Doritoes and shambled on over to the counter. Some guy in a light gray hoodie and jeans was in line before him. With little time, the cashier rang the person out and attended to Kayd next. The total came up to about eight something. Kayd tossed a then dollar bill onto the desk half minded before scooping up his prize.

Internet came back. He must have been catching a lucky break. Kayd dared not to let the chance slip by him. With one swift motion, he dropped the half empty light bulb package onto the counter top and then nearly ran to the bedroom.

MSN Messenger Chat Log

[8:09pm] David: Hey

[8:13pm] David: dude where the fuck are you

[8:30pm] Kayd: yo, sorry about that..internet's been cutting out on me

[8:32pm] David: damn…that sucks. how's the new place?

[8:33pm] Kayd: Pretty lame if you ask me. Damn lights are going out, internet and a few plugs are fired. looks like the bargin isn't much of a bargin anymore

[8:38pm] David: daymn…sorry dude

[8:40pm] Kayd: yo, something's going down on fourchan, ya gotta check it out

[8:40pm] Kayd: mind linking me?

[8:41pm] David: sure man, lemme grab the link…

[8:42pm] David:

[8:59pm] Kayd: what the fuck is up with this guy?

[9:02pm] David: I know right? wanna bet this guy is a super serious troll

[9:03pm] Kayd: not really, you know you'd win

[9:05pm] David: haha…yeah

[Kayd Hendricks is offline]

[9:08pm] David: Kayd? You there bro?


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Msn Messenger Chat Log

[Kayd Hendricks is online]

[10:08pm] David: Dude, you okay over there?

[10:09pm] Kayd: yeah

[10:10pm] Kayd: internet fails on me

[10:11pm] David: Shitty…

[10:12pm] Kayd: yeah, you said it.

[10:13pm] David: so…you watched the vid?

[10:14pm] Kayd: what vid?

[10:15pm] David: the one of youtube, ya'know, the one that goes with the post on 4chan

[10:16pm] Kayd: Can't say I have.

[10:17pm] David: .com/watch?v=X6D2XCJUJHY

[10:18pm] David: watch it

[10:19pm] Kayd: sure..whatever. be back in a few minutes

[10:21pm] Kayd: HOLY SHIT MAN

[10:21pm] Kayd: Why the hell didn't you tell me that it had jump scares!

[10:22pm] David: Dude, chill. Keep watching.

[10:23pm] Kayd: …

[10:30pm] David: you there?

[10:31pm] David: aw come on man,

[10:31pm] David: …

[10:33pm] Kayd: …think he'll up date tomorrow?

[10:34pm] David: probably

[10:35pm] Kayd: fuck man…

[10:36pm] ?

[10:37pm] Kayd: not getting any sleep tonight. thanks a lot.

[10:38pm] David: sorry dude

[10:39pm] Kayd: …

He's been watching the video again and again for about thirty minutes now, taking a break to reread the entry he saved from the 4chan posting. Something's bothering him… the way the guy worded the thing. Damn it to hell, why was he getting so caught up in this? He didn't actually think this was read…did he? An aggravated groan escaped his lips as he slid into his computer chair. Hands pressed against his face, slicking back the hair on his head. "It was just a creepy pasta," he kept telling himself, "just some made up story. The guy's probably a troll or something."

"…"

Yeah…he wasn't going to be getting any sleep that night.

Fuck. His head was killing him and not even the Tylenol was helping. He's been on the computer for three hours straight now. Funny, the internet hasn't wigged out on him yet. Slowly he reaches for the Doritoes and then stops. He finished those off hours ago, same with the pop. Guess it was time to raid the kitchen for food. Again.

There really isn't much in the old, yellow box other than half a cup of strawberry yogurt and the left over beer. His lips purse and, not really thirsty, he grabs the carton of yogurt, slams the door shut with his food and goes about finding a clean spoon. Maybe he'll try getting some rest after this…maybe a shower first. Something, anything to keep him find off of that fucking Happy Mask Salesman. The bastard always seemed to creep up on him when he watched the video. It hardly mattered if he had the thing on mute either.

The thought of those squinty eyes, joker smile, clasped hands all leaning forward-talk about breaking the fourth fucking wall. He sighed. Damn how he wished David hasn't sent him that creepy shit. Eh...he'd get over it. That's how these things worked. Make it through the first night after watching the thing and the following nights would be pieces of cake.

…

…

Damn…didn't the guy…what was his name…Jadusable say he'd update tomorrow. Fuck. We'll Kayd was in no position to help the guy-it was probably just some troll out to scare the masses or whatever. Still…he couldn't help but feel sorry for the guy. For whatever reason.

The carton was empty, unlike his thoughts. Always returning to the video, the story, the statue. Kayd tossed the cup and spoon into the sink absentmindedly. He was getting tired, he couldn't deny that and was it really worth it to stay up because of some stupid story? He guessed not.

Determined to challenge his mind and fight of the thoughts of the Happy Mask Salesman and the statue, Kayd stumbled to the bathroom and shut the door behind him. With a quick turn of the handle, he locked himself in shed his clothing and turned on the taps…nothing. Another fucking thing in the fucking house wasn't working right.

"Great-" Kayd nearly cursed before the water jittered out of the taps and then, finally the shower head. Cold-freezing cold water soon heated to a steam.

Six in the morning. No sleep. Dead tired. Kayd felt like a zombie. With half open eyelids he stretched out of bed to the glare of the rising sun. "What day is it…?" he thought out loud as he slipped into some trousers. His eyes glanced to the calendar that hung on the back of the bedroom door. "September eighth," Kayd said, "Wednesday." He'd have to bike to work today but it was too early for that. He reconsidered going back to bed but he knew he wouldn't sleep. Groaning, Kayd got to his feet and shambled around the house. He'd probably see if he could get the television to work…the thought slapped him hard in the face. "The breakers…" Located in the yet to be truly explored basement. Well, he didn't have anything better to do and the basement was connected to the kitchen. First wash the dishes…then try to fix the house before heading off to work. What an eventful day he had planned.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The basement was…less pleasing than he would like to admit. A steep slope into the depths of the house await him, aging wooden steps and a loose light bulb hanging over head. He pulled the cord sending the glowing orb to swing a bit casting shadows from every angle. Mustering courage, he placed his hand on the railing and took a step down into the basement. Kayd winced, the wooden stair creaking under his weight, moaning angrily at him. With a deep breath and then a sigh, he travelled on word, the steps creaking under his weight.

The concrete basement felt like a dungeon, and the flicker of pale fluorescent lights didn't help to sooth his mind. It was if the lights too were afraid to cast shadows into the corners. Kayd sighed and began searching for the breaker box. A turn to the left and he followed a door into the laundry room. A large, white laundry tub rested in the corner, unused next to the yellow washing machine. The dryer laid beside that, squished in beside the concrete wall. "What a hell hole…" Kayd muttered. He didn't remember the basement looking so horrid when he first toured through it. It was probably his imagination-a lack of sleep did play tricks on the mind.

The break box wasn't there. He searched the cupboards, the unused side bathroom but nothing gave a hint to where the box was. Well this was great. Why couldn't he remember where he put the-a thud. Kayd's heart skipped a beat. He dashed from the laundry room and over towards the stairs. "…" Well…nothing seemed wrong. "Maybe something fell down somewhere upstairs," Kayd muttered to himself, his hand on the railing. "That's it," he shook his disease off and then returned to the cold basement-when did it get so cold down here?

The breaker box was shoved in the cubby under the stairs. A door, once locked with a similar key, was unlocked. Against his better judgement, Kayd stepped inside the poorly lit room and opened up the break box. Just as he suspected, the switch was off for the living room. Satisfied, Kayd turned it on and then shut off the light in the cubby room. He made his way from the basement and back up the stairs.

…the pictures were scattered all over the kitchen floor. He was damn sure he had put them away in a box of something. The idea of someone breaking into his house gave him visible chills. His skin pimpled with gooseflesh, his hair stood up straight…like someone was-a knock at the door. Attention fleeing from the papers. Kayd stumbled over to the door, passing the piles of unpacked boxes.

"Hey there Kayd! Thought I'd stop by and give you a proper welcoming to the neighbourhood!" mused the beady, fat man from the next door over. He was…what was his name again? Harley…Harrison… "Henry," the neighbour spoke, catching Kayd's attention. "I hope you hadn't forgotten me already old chap!"

Kayd blinked, his mind absent for the moment. "Um…yeah. No I didn't forget-" 'I just want you to get the hell off my front door step.' Damn the guy gave him the creeps sometimes.

"Anyways, just droppin' off this fruit basket. Hey, you know what'd be great?"

"No, what?" Kayd said almost bitterly.

"I'm hostin' a barbeque this coming weekend. All the neighbours'll be around. You should come check it out, meet the street!" grinned the flushed red man.

"I'll think about it," Kayd said as the fruit basket was shoved into his arms.

"Great! I'll see you then!" Apparently this man didn't take no for an answer.

"Maybe-" Kayd tried to interject but the man had already taken off from his front door step.

With a slam of his door, Kayd walked into his house and tossed the basket onto the table. He would tend to the papers on the floor…maybe get to play some video games before heading out to work.

On second thought…Kayd walked over to the kitchen and slammed the basement door shut before picking up the papers. The sooner he could get out of this house today, the better.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Biking home had to be about the worst experience of his life-up to that point. A long day of exhausting work had left him all but drained. It was about half way through the trip that he had made a stop at one of the local fast food places. Something like a Pizza Pizza or something, he wasn't exactly awake at the moment. The energy drink was barely paying off, it gave him enough energy to ride most of the way home. He was about five minutes from his house, sky darkening to that creamy hue of orange when, out of nowhere the sound of brakes squealing erupted to break the tranquil ride him.

Terrified, confused, nearly panic stricken, Kayd toppled sideways, his bike twisting at an extremely awkward angle towards the sidewalk. Next thing he knew, he was on the ground, bike rims spinning the colours of street lamps, trapping him on the pavement. Nothing as broken-"Fuck," Kayd snapped, cringing at the shock of pain rippling up his leg. Lucky for him he had worn jeans but, "damn bastard!" he yelled moving out from under the bike. He propped it up, eyes catching the silhouette of the guilty party's car swerve recklessly around the corner. "ASSHOLE!" shouted Kayd from the top of his lungs, "watch where the hell you're going!" A grunt soon followed as he manoeuvred the bike to take a look at it. No damage but hell, he didn't feel like trying to bike it home anymore. Besides, the walk home wouldn't take that long; he was already at the corner of the street.

"Great…" Kayd sighed as he moved his bike, trying to sneak past the robust man that stood at his door. The plan was to ignore him and move through the backyard and into the house.

"Kayd! There you are-"

There went that plan.

"H-Hey, look I'm really not-"

"You all right?"

"Yeah but really, I have to-"

"Some kid was snooping around your place earlier-"

"What?" snapped Kayd, his jaw dropping. 'Oh fuck,' he thought at first, "what happened, what did'he want?"

"Say… you haven't talked to the old guy, have you?"

"Who-wait, you're changing the subject, what did the person want?"

"That's the thing Kayd, the guy was looking for him, that's what I asked,"

"What guy, Henry, can you please be a little more clear?"

"You know, the one that sold the house to you…what was his name again…"

"Look I don't have time to play these stupid games," Kayd interrupted, "what did the kid want?"

"He..er.." Henry turned away, his cheeks reddening with embarrassment before waving off the conversation. "He just wanted to talk to the old man…that's all."

"Well, if he comes back and I'm not in tell the guy I have no idea where the man is. He just took off after he sold me that house."

"A-All right-" Henry seemed distraught for some reason, he was relatively taken aback by Kayd's abrasive comments and aggressive words. "Sorry to have bothered you."

A hot ramen bowl-he was starved. Whatever it was, he had the energy drained out of him. He guessed it was the damned bike ride and almost getting hit by some road raging alcoholic…or something. Maybe it was just the energy drink wearing off. Whatever it was, Kayd had turned to fix himself something to tide his hunger. He really couldn't afford buying anything filling-his check for the week wouldn't be around in his account until tomorrow. He would have to make do with ramen for now. Beef flavoured, it was about the only kind he could stomach these days.

The blue hue of the computer monitor illuminated the room before Kayd turned on the light. He closed the door over with his socked foot, juggling the steaming noodle soup. He couldn't wait to relax and get the whole damned day off of his mind.

Oh great…David was online-

Msn Messenger Chat Log

[8:09pm] David: dude 4chan. now.

[8:10pm] Kayd: yeah, thanks man for the 'hello' and the 'how are you'?

[8:11pm] David: -link to 4chan page-

[8:12pm] Kayd: guy's still trollin' this story? looks like he's committed…gotta give the guy some credit

[8:13pm] Kayd: …David?

[8:17pm] David: sorry. mum wanted me to take out the trash

[8:18pm] David: read it?

[8:19pm] Kayd: not yet…

[8:20pm] David: well, hurry up.

[8:23pm] Kayd:

[8:50pm] David: you there?

[8:56pm] David: Kayd? Something up?

[9:00pm] Kayd: I'll have to talk to you later, David. Something's come up.

[9:02pm] David: that shitty story scare the crap out of you or something? Ya'know it's fake, right?

[9:03pm] David: …right?


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The contents of the chapter had thoroughly scared Kayd. He sat there, a blank expression on his face a first, stretching into something the reflected the terrible knots tightening in his stomach. Was it the screen going foggy or was it his own imagination? He couldn't tell but, the pain at the back of his eyes gave him a pretty good explanation-he had forgotten to breath. When he had stopped breathing, Kayd had no clue but the rush of air into his lungs nearly ended with a dry, uncomfortable choke. He kacked back the cough strangling his throat and pushed the chair away from the desk. Bolting through the bedroom and into the hallway, Kayd made for the kitchen and grabbed himself a can of chilled beer. The solid click of metal resonated through the air as he chucked back the drink, emptying half a can before realizing that his course of action was probably a bad idea. Repealing from the drink, Kayd stifled a choke and a cough onto his arm, the can shaking as he leaned against the counter for support. Why was this getting to him? Why the hell did this stupid person manage to get him this badly that he had stopped the most natural bodily function and stole away his nerve of courage. Fuck this. Kayd slammed the empty can onto the table. Was it just him or was the room swaying a little? Kayd gripped the counter and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. They opened quickly. His hand slipped, eyes widened a short shrill escaped his lips as he fell to the floor, head banging off of the cupboard knobs. "Shit, shit, shit!" he moaned, grabbing his head, lurching forward to cradle the injury. "Get fucking going Kayd," he snapped, "get yourself fucking drunk why don't you? Start hallucinating why don't you?" The pain seethed and then, over time, slowly dulled to a low throb. Stretching straight, Kayd examined the dark confines of his house. "See? Nothing's there. You're flipping shit for no reason other then a fucking creepy story that some guy posted on the internet to scare the shit out of people. Some fucking person you are getting scared by that." He groaned, his eyes wandering to the corners of the kitchen.

Tonight he would sleep with the lights on.

No sleep. Nothing to fall back on and hope for a reprieve from that god awful scare he had last night. Whatever it was, and most likely just his imagination, caused him an endless fit of slumber. He would wake up once, twice, three times in the middle of the night, his body drenched with a cold sweat, neck hairs prickling as wild eyes flew to a source of light. He didn't want to look in the shadows…there could be something-what the hell was he thinking? "There was nothing there. There never will be. You've got yourself worked up and for what? Losing sleep, hell look at yourself! You're talking to yourself!" that what he got when living alone in this damned broken down house. Over and over he kept on having to repeat the mantra 'it was just a scary story, it can't hurt you'. Time and time again he would whisper the words. Time and time again it would do little to ease his mind. At least he took comfort in scaring the crap out of David when he came over that day.

Unfortunately, school break was almost at its end and, like and studious college student, Kayd had left the homework to nearly the last minute. What was it? A bit of reading in all of his classes and some questions to answer. It wasn't all that bad. Not that having David over helped him with his failing courses. No. Instead he had hidden himself around the corner, waiting for his so called friend to wind his way just out of view of him and then-Kayd screamed in his ear. The guy shrieked, yelled at him "You fucking-don't scare me like that!" and Kayd had responded with, "we'll you're the one who showed me those damned videos so now we're even." The friend accepted the terms with a lengthy sigh. Then it was off to play some Modern Warfare before heading out to work.

Work was boring as usual minus the reckless drunk driver from the other day. The pay check had come in and, after having done some shopping, Kayd had invited his old high school buddy Thomas over. They snacked on a huge load of chips, pop, energy drinks, beer and sugary junk food while watching a few movies and switching back to the xbox. It was roughly eleven at night when Thomas asked for the computer. Kayd, seemingly drawn to the device in his room, shrugged his shoulders and followed suit. He booted up the computer for Thomas, turned on the lights and closed over the door before taking a seat on the bed. "What's up?" he asked, "checking to see if your girl friend is online?" Kayd chuckled lightly.

"Just wanted to check some things out, you know e-mails and what not," Thomas didn't look around.

Kayd watching from the bed, taking his time to lay down on with his hands folded behind his head, staring up at the ceiling.

Minutes passed without a word. Kayd's eyes began to flutter closed and he had quickly made up his mind to sit up and kick back an energy drink to help keep him awake. There was no way in hell he'd fall asleep before Thomas- "Hey, what's that?" Kayd asked as he sipped on the Monster, energy drink.

"This, oh it's nothing really," Thomas replied.

Kayd eyed his friend suspiciously before looking at the screen. "I didn't know you were a 4chan surfer," he mumbled, pausing to take a drink.

"Yeah…kinda a new fad for me," Thomas laughed sheepishly.

The bright white page of youtube sudden opened up. Kayd blinked, looked at the screen for a moment then at Thomas, "You-"

"Yeah, I follow the videos," Thomas said referring to the Jadusable account. He was poking through the only to videos on the page. "You've watched them?" He asked, his eyes glued to the screen.

"I guess…" Kayd mumbled, the drink hovering at his lips. "I thought you weren't into that-didn't you say you didn't like Zelda?"

"What, me? No Kayd," Thomas replied shaking his head, "I told you that I didn't like Ocarina of Time. Majora's Mask is pretty epic though."

"Hun."

"Yeah, it was my favourite game as a kid. I even made a paper mask replica…that had to have been when I was…eight I think?"

A deep sigh escaped Kayd's lips. "Well I hope the guy doesn't post any more,"

"Why's that-he didn't scare you did he?" Thomas turned around in the chair to look at Kayd. "Dude, he totally did!" he burst out laughing. "You know its fake, right? Right?"

"Yeah, yeah," Kayd said waving him off. "Look I'm not waiting around for his next reply or whatever. Why don't we go back and play some video games or something?"

Thomas's smile vanished. "Can't we wait until mid-" a flicker of the lights. Darkness took over the bedroom for a split second before light returned to the room.

"Fucking faulty house," Kayd groaned.

"Looks like it took out the internet," Thomas sighed. "Well…any idea on when it'll be back-?"

"No idea. It comes and goes."

"All right, all right," Thomas muttered under his breath. "What game do you want to play?"

"Anything-"

"You still got your old Nintendo-"

"No."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

What was the time again? The digital green clock was flashing the reset number 88:88. He never thought to check the clock on the desktop, no, he was too busy trying to avoid reading that document on the bottom bar. It was late…too late for someone who needed to get to work early the next morning but he couldn't pull himself away from the computer. Sure, he had mulled around on deviantart for a bit attempting to keep the text out of his mind but where ever he went, the words followed him. It was like his brain was hardwired to pick up every words that could connect itself to that damned creepy story. Kayd couldn't help it. He would leave his room in a mess, t-shirts and jeans scattered across the barely seen wooden floor, door closed over just a slant enough for just a peek of light to slip through. It would come in waves. In the middle of the night he would find himself awake…or asleep. Either the dreams were getting too vivid or his mind was really screwing him over. What was it that he dreamed about? Kayd could never remember. All he knew was the cold sweat and the panic struck heart beats that shook his rib cage. It was like him to get so worked up over this thing. It wasn't like him to become so obsessed with one little story, it was like it was consuming him, his thoughts, bit by bit, manifesting itself into the creak of the hallway floors and the flicker of light bulbs. It was time to give it up. Time to stop following the damned story and try to move on. Yet his mouse hovered over the status bar, the lighting it up, enticing him to read it, pry deeper into the mystery.

No. He wouldn't have it. Kayd sucked in a deep breath and exited out of the page. The usual pop up appeared: "Do you want to save the changes to Document4?" He exited that too. No sense in keeping something if it was only going to creep up on him at the back of his mind. The white screen of the word document faded from the computer screen, returning to the background of deviantart. There really wasn't anything else he wanted to do on the computer.

Tired eyes hovered half way as a yawn crept from his lips. It was time for that damned cycle again. The sleeping, the waking, the attempt at falling asleep again. When had it all started? Hell, he couldn't remember, he just wanted it to end.

With a swift move of his mouse, Kayd hit the power down button and then left the room to grab a warm glass of milk and some sleep aid he had picked up the day before yesterday. He guessed the medication did its job…for a period of time. Not that he enjoyed taking it but he'd be damned not to let his body get any rest.

The white bottle rested on the counter top, like it had for the past few days. It didn't take much to grab it, unlock the lid and slip down a few pills before finishing off with the milk. How many had he taken…two, that was right. Adult prescription was two pills every few hours. God he was exhausted.

Having tossed the glass into the sink, Kayd made his way for the washroom and then his bedroom, making sure to turn off all the lights. A thought struck him. Had he locked all the doors, turned off all the appliances? Why was this bothering him now? Of course he had taken care of the previous things. He had double-no-triple checked. Kayd blamed these irrational actions on his new found insomnia. Groaning, Kayd shed his clothes for a tank top and boxer pants and shut off the light. A shadow flickered across his eyes, the corner of his room, a point blank distance from where he stood. The lights turned on with a soft click. Nothing. Just his imagination. He sighed heavily, closed his eyes and shut off the light…the damned computer was still on. That was probably the cause of the shadows in the room. Since when had it started three automatic updates? He was done with this bullshit for the night. Kayd stumbled over to the computer and pulled the plug from the wall, not thinking clearly. 'You shouldn't have done that-' was the first thought that came to mind. Fuck it, he was too tired for the bullshit phrases from that damned creepy Zelda story. Squeezing his eyes shut tightly (perhaps not to see anymore shadows), Kayd slumped onto the bed and then pulled the twisted covers over his head. His mind raced and thudded with a pounding of his heart. He could feel exhaustion eclipse over his mind and weigh heavily on his body. Sleep to the sound of a creaking door.

The document haunted him all the way to work and back, the one he didn't save. What was in it? Was it over? No. He had to stop thinking about it. At the very least he wished the guy was dead…at least then he would stop posting those walls of text-what was he thinking? The thought of this had disturbed him quite a bit. Kayd was so shaken up over these wild ideals that he was failing to coordinate his actions, causing more than one occasional mistake. The manager had picked up on this and, after assessing Kayd's mental and physical states, sent him home earlier to get something to eat and rest up. He looked pale, perhaps he had high blood sugars or was catching the bug that was going around. Oh how Kayd wished it was only the latter. He didn't dare ride his bike home today, it was obvious that he would harm himself more than anything. Instead he took the bus home, catching a sleepy eyed glance from one of the few others on the bus. He was wearing a gray hoodie and jeans, nothing spectacular. Kayd shrugged it off and surveyed the rest of the bus, trying to keep himself from falling asleep-he would do that when he got home. There was some robust dark woman with a fuchsia dress, an old man in a cardigan with a wooden cane a… Kayd could feel his concentration slip. He would had nearly missed his stop if someone from the back of the bus hadn't had requested a stop. Kayd blinked to attention and got up slowly, his movements lagging with drossiness. Since when had he started feeling this drained? It…didn't matter, he would get some sleep when he got home.

Kayd mumbled a thank you to no one as he hoped off the bus. The last thing he heard from the bus was the squeal of the hydraulic breaks. He was too tired to notice anything anymore, not even the neighbour that was strolling right towards him.

"Hey Kayd-woah, everything okay champ?" asked what's his face-Henry.

"Tired…"

"You don't look so good, need some help?"

A shake of the head. "No…thanks." He was too tired to bother putting up a front with the annoying man. Kayd had passed him on his way home-he was too tired to be bothered with noticing that the guy was following him like a lost puppy to the edge of his lawn.

"If ya need anything, just ask okay?" he called at Kayd, "Anything at all!"

That was the end of that.

DROWNED. Had he saved the file last night? He was pretty sure he didn't but hell, it was late and his subconscious wants had probably pestered him into the action. It lay open but unread on his desktop screen. The urge to read it was pressing at him, jabbing his mind violently. In the end…Kayd gave in.

He had to read it a few times to understand what was going on. The guy seemed tired…exhausted as a matter of fact. Jadusable should have, at least, after the game was tormenting him to the point of coming off as hopeless and depressed. Possibly he was feeling like Kayd right now. Sluggish, pestered…he wouldn't think of that now. The video…Kayd had to watch it. It was an impulse to follow the videos after reading, to give the paragraphs some context as to what was going on. The video had struck Kayd the hardest. The game itself had twisted so much as to include game play from Ocarina of Time, the Happy Mask Shop was the most predominate thing…'You Shouldn't have done that…' that damned phrase was everywhere now, wasn't it? It didn't mean much to Kayd anymore especially in this lucid state of mind. He gave up. Rest was what he needed and rest was what he intended to get…damn he had forgotten about the barbeque tomorrow. The whole neighbourhood was getting together or something. Maybe he could skip it, maybe call in sick or something? Or maybe he was spending way too much time on the computer-some friendly human interaction could be good for him.

He would think about it. Until then…Kayd shut off the lights and closed the door shut. The binds were drawn and the adornment of work clothes had been swapped in for comfortable pjs. The cool blue light of the computer screen played for a few minutes, the percentage of the completing updates counting up to a hundred and then, the screen cut black and Kayd was sprung into an infinite darkness.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Given the situation, Kayd would have otherwise never attended such a gathering in the next door neighbour's backyard, least to say on such a cloudy day. The gray clouds hung over heard threatening rain and the crackle of lightning. It was a humid day to say the least with only the comfort of a cool breeze every so often. It was…unusual. Kayd hadn't expected Henry to own a pool, not that it was really in season to use it. The thing that bugged him the most of that the guy didn't have any kids-apparently he was sterile. A cold shudder slipped down Kayd's neck as he surveyed the area. Henry was grilling away after dubbing himself the 'BBQ King' or some ridiculously corny name that was only really good for a few gaggles of laughter at his expense. The rest of the backyard was dotted with clusters of people, most of which had already introduced themselves to him by a means of handshakes-or worse-hugs. He cringed at the thought of the invasion of his personal space. At least the neighbours had enough sense to give him space unlike the ever present Henry that seemed to pick up small, random conversations with Kayd whenever he passed by. Most of the words they exchanged consisted of questions of well being and if, specifically, Kayd was enjoying himself. He would buff his feelings of anxiety, shrug off any further comments and then make himself readily busy at the drinks table. This had to have been, what, his third beer in the past hour?

Kayd had planted himself under the only spot of shade in the yard, the old oak tree in the corner of yard. He was sipping his beer and enjoying the shade when his eyes caught a glance at him from the other side of the deck. Bright brown eyes belonging to a young woman, roughly his age and dark skinned although she barely looked interested. Discarding the bottle on a nearby table, Kayd moseyed on over to her, hands shoved in his worn jean pockets.

"Hey," Kayd said, "enjoying the party?"

"I guess," the woman replied as she turned her head to look at something in the distance.

"Er…My name's Kayd, Kayd Hendricks, and you are…?"

"Not interested," she snapped back, eyes narrowing.

"…I wasn't exactly asking you out…why so cold?"

The woman rolled her eyes and took a deep sigh, "My name is Jordan. Can I help you with something then?"

"Yeesh," Kayd grunted as he shook his shoulders, "nothing really I guess-"

"Then please," she stressed, "I'd rather like to be alone now."

"What exactly is your-"

"Problem?" The girl twisted her head to glare at Kayd. "Look, it would be best if you just walked away now. You are testing my patience."

"Oh, so you're all high and mighty, aren't you?" Kayd snapped, "what the hell did I ever do to you-you know what, screw this and this stupid party…" with that Kayd stomped off, his hands twisting into tightly balled fists in his pockets.

"Kayd," Jordan called from across the lawn, as soon as he turned his back, "watch out-"

A wicked bolt of lightening cracked across the sky echoed shortly by the boom of thunder. The surge of sound had jolted Kayd; he ducked and froze as the thunder subsided. The first few drops of rain pelted the stone deck before pouring down on those caught in between the pool area and the patio.

Henry had quickly turned off the barbeque and began ushering the guests into his house, waving his ridiculous white chief's hat over his head. Kayd was stunned. His legs wouldn't move while his heart pounded in his chest.

"Kayd, hurry up! You're going to get soaked and the lightning's close! I don't want to see someone else get hurt!" Henry yelled as the rain bounced off of his balding head. "KAYD!"

A second bolt shot across the sky. It jump started Kayd's instincts and he sprinted for cover.

The so called get together had come to an abrupt end. The food and beverages had been soiled by the rain and the lightning was making it impossible for the party to continue outdoors. Taking the excuse that the house was packed, and it was, Kayd took off from the party and took a chance at running through the pouring rain to his house. Most of the neighbours had taken shelter in Henry's place, even Jordan. Kayd, in all honesty, couldn't stand the company. If it wasn't Henry, then it was someone else-heck, if he could describe the vibe he was getting from them all he would. There just weren't any words for it.

At least he had the rest of the day to do…whatever it was that he was thinking about doing.

The blue glow of the computer screen was irritating Kayd. It was taking an impossibly long time to load up today and not only that, but his eyes were beginning to water. He could feel a sneeze creeping up and quickly reached for the half empty box off tissues. 'Damn the rain,' Kayd grunted as he sneezed into an unused tissue before throwing it in the trash can next to his bed. Damn the weather-he had caught a bit of a cold.

The blue screen turned quickly to black and then his background loaded. Soon after he was logged onto the internet and cruising around 4chan. He hadn't had a chance to check for any updates yesterday-the whole damn computer couldn't be bothered to turn on although that was easily attributed to the short power-outage the neighbourhood had experienced from the storm the other day.

It really didn't take that long for him to locate the latest instalment of what he had dubbed "The Jadusable Chronicles"…and the name would have remained the same if it had not been for the latest entry.

Already Kayd could tell that something was up. Jadusable had not written like this…and if Kayd's memory served him well…he never claimed to have had a roommate. Kayd felt his heart speed, his stomach twist into knots. Something was wrong…so very very wrong and yet he remained helpless at the computer. There was really nothing he could do other than hope that Jadusable was fine, that it really was just his friend or something posting the video up on youtube-same with the summary.

He would never be able to come to terms with that though, it just seemed too easy to accept that everything was fine and dandy-wait…why did he care. It was just a story, right?

There room suddenly felt constricting-Kayd had to get out, clear his head do something other then stare at that story. There was no way he would be able to get it out of his mind but maybe, just maybe he would be able to calm down a bit after a bike ride.

At least…that's what he had wanted to do.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Days of massive headaches swallowed in the dark of his room. He wasn't sleeping, anyone could tell that by the black rings around his eyes, the paleness of his face, the malnourished, haunting look. It was a wonder how he had managed to make it through half of the week without cooping out on class and heading home. It was a miracle really, being able to make it through the day even with that haunting feeling that something was following him. Even now the days felt longer, trapped in his room, drawing again and again to the computer. The xbox wouldn't satisfy his mind's worries any more than bike rides and hanging out with friends would. It was a game now…a waiting game to see if the story would end or pick up again.

And that it did. It began again on September fifteen and the results were all but shocking. The documented was leaked on the forums of 4chan. He was cautious at first, saving the link to the download while debating whether or not he should open it.

It was hours later before he managed to pull himself together, save and then open the document.

There were no words to describe his reaction. Was it panic, fear, nausea, intense dread or all of the above? Kayd would never be able to get over that final paragraph. It had felt as though he had sealed his own fate, much like the others curious enough to do what he did.

Corrupted.

He sat there, starting at that letter, the letter 'a' translated in Zalgo font. He was fucked. At least that's what he had believed. The video that followed eight minutes later sent Kayd into shock. He had been frozen at his computer, petrified, hands gripping the chair as if his bones had set like cement. There was no moving him. Eyes glued to the black screen of the youtube video.

It took several minutes to break out from that state. He had to calm himself down, pry his hands from the chair and forced himself into an ice cold shower. There was no denying that he felt dreadful, sick to his stomach.

He would spend the night at Thomas' house.

All he would talk about was the story. All Kayd could think about was: 'Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!' It was like his friend was consumed by the words-he thought it was fantastic, horrifyingly fan-fucking-tastic. The guy had gone over board. He bought his own Nintendo, a copy of Majora's Mask and a grey controller. There was no stopping him.

And that damned song. Everything single time Thomas placed that song, Kayd could feel a little bit of himself sink into a deepening darkness. He would bet a hundred bucks on his life that the guy was doing this to mess with him. If only he would get the damn hint-Kayd didn't want anything to do with Jadusable, the story and the video. He didn't want to figure out what was going on, he didn't want to follow the clues to play the stupid game BEN was setting up-oh God he was starting to give it a name. Kayd thought he was crazy but it must have been because of Thomas. After all, he had scared the shit out of him when he made a paper replica of the Elegy Statue and placed it on his shelving unit. And the Happy Mask Salesman. The paper could go fuck themselves, the entity or whatever the shit it was calling itself too.

How long had he been living with Thomas? A few days at least. It was suffocating, nearly like his house-hell he thought he could stand living in his house more than Thomas at the moment.

He gave up. There was no point in staying at his place anymore. The next day he would pack up but not after seeing an unfamiliar mask laying half hidden under a network of papers and clothes.

"What is this?" Kayd asked Thomas, removing the mask with his finger tips.

"Nothing," snapped Thomas as he snatched the leather mask from Kayd.

"Whatever. You're obsessed," Kayd replied. "Look, I'm leaving. I'll…talk to you later-when I get back at the house. Don't go screwing with anything and getting yourself way over your head in shit, okay?"

"Yeah, sure, fine." Thomas replied half-heartedly. "Take care," he said walking Kayd to the door before closing it firmly behind him.

With a sigh, Kayd hopped on his bike and placed his feet on the peddles. He would be home soon enough….he just needed a hot shower, something to kill the thoughts that were boiling up in his mind. He was hoping some alone time would be able to help rehabilitate him back into working order…he would disconnect the computer when he got back.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

It was waiting for him, eyeing him from the corner of his room. It seemed to plead 'see me, see me here'. It was seducing his thoughts, breaking his will. The computer was perched where it always was, turned off, staring at him with that black screen. No, he promised himself he would disconnect it…just after he checked his e-mail. Caving was the easy part, waiting for it to load up was not. In the mean time, Kayd pulled himself from the black screen and shambled down the hallway to the washroom where he closed the door, removed his clothing and slipped into the shower. Hot water came rushing out of the tap, the whole bathroom steaming with a white-gray mist.

The water seemed to cleanse of his tension, his worries, his anxiety. All those negative feelings, the tiredness slipped down into the bath tub, pooling around his feet before spiralling counter clockwise into the drain. How long had it been since he had a shower like this? God knew how long. It felt as though it lasted hours and his pruned hands would be a tell tale sign of this truth if it hadn't been for the battery run clock in the hallway. It was four twenty-three in the afternoon by the time Kayd had finished with his shower, dried and clothed himself in some comfortable house clothes.

Raiding the kitchen for a box of homemade macaroni was the first thing on his mind. He felt lighter, clearer headed. Maybe staying at Thomas's house for a few days had given him the rest he needed. There was a part of him that disagreed but the smell of the unhealthy food was enough to distract him of his current thoughts. After throwing the garbage in the trash, Kayd strode to his computer and sat himself down in his chair. The first thing he wanted to check was his e-mail. And that he did.

A niggling feeling poked around his chest. He chased his mouse pointer to the address bar and typed in the youtube website address. Kayd was welcomed by the familiar layout. Moving through the videos, he decided to stop listening to music and check to see if Jadusable had updated anything. Whether it was a subconscious thing or not, the college student found himself reading the comments on Jadusable's page. He followed the progress bit by bit, swallowing large spoonfuls of crappy dinner (or so he had dubbed the macaroni in a box).

Websites…always leading to one thing…then another…

Kayd paused, staring at the latest addition to this game of cat and mouse.

Three words rang from his lips as the spoon clattered into the nearly empty bowl. "The Moon Children."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

That familiar feeling had seized his gut and twisted it like a corkscrew, all the boiling emotions surging like acid against the throat in his mind. He had to stop himself from dropping the bowl to the ground, his hands cupped around it tightly. It took moments before the tension of his muscles soothed allowing him to discard the half eaten bowl of crappy dinner. He wasn't hungry anymore, hell, he felt as though he was going to lose his lunch.

Black. The site was sore on the eyes, white text flickering left right, left right across the screen as he read every last bit. The words toyed with the deep core of his being, pulled him forward, and drew him further into the depths of the cult website. Had he felt a connection to the words? That-that wasn't so impossible-every person felt alone…felt like they needed to be a part of something. Kayd gulped; his Adam's apple bobbing up then down as he pursed his lips.

The days had passed by in dreadful anticipation. There was little sleep to be had around the forums…even Kayd had seen nights run into days, losing sleep or just not sleeping at all. Everyone was in a chaotic mess trying to figure out what the hell was going on. To him it felt that there was so little time.

It was on the third day of it all, September nineteenth that Kayd had found himself staring at the black screen of his computer wishing to himself silently that he understood what was going on…

A knock at the door.

With a grunt Kayd picked himself out of the chair and stumbled down the hallway and towards the front door. He was half asleep, eyelids drooping, a yawn escaping his lips. With a slow turn of the lock and the door handle, Kayd opened the door to see that woman from Henry's party. She dominated the front step to his house, hands planted on her hips with a scowl stretching at her lips.

Kayd sighed. His right hand slipped into his brown locks as he raised an eye brow at the unwelcomed girl, "what do you want?" he groaned, his voice heavy due to the lack of sleep.

"Just what the hell do you think you're doing?" the girl snapped giving him an eye full of a frigid glare.

"Jordan-right?" Kayd replied ignoring her previous accusation.

"You think you're tough shit, don't you?" she snapped again.

"Last I recall you're the one bad mouthing me at my door step. Mind giving me a hint why you're so pissed off or should I just slam the door in your face?" Kayd retorted bitterly, "because I don't know this shit right now."

"You asshole," her glare diving down, steely against his slivered eyes and worn complexion, "stealing from me. You fucking bastard-"

"Woah, woah, what the hell are you talking about?" Kayd asked moving his hand out of his hair before crossing both arms over his chest. "I didn't steal anything from-"

"Liar! You've been mooching off my internet!"

Kayd blinked, his gaunt face draining to a milky white. "O-Oh I-I can explain-"

"Don't give me that shit. I-I knew it. I should have called the cops-"

"H-hold on!" Kayd said, wrenching the screen door open before chasing her to the edge of the sidewalk. "I can explain-ju-just give me a chance okay?"

"I don't want your explanations, thief!"

Kayd grabbed Jorden by the arm-a bad call. The woman whirled around on the ball of her foot, his palm rotating landing a loud slap across his face. "Don't you dare fucking touch me-"

It was only when he had some sense slapped into him that he could see the weariness in the girl's eyes. She was looking paler than she had the last time they met. "You haven't been sleeping, have you?" Kayd blurted out as she made it three cement squares away from Kayd, back turned. She paused, turned her head over her shoulder to stare at him.

"And what's it to you?"

"It's…" Kayd found his hand in his hair again looking to the sidewalk to avoid her cold, haunting stare. "It's…" what was he supposed to say? He had to say something-anything. The girl was going to get the cops involved and the last thing he wanted to do was spend a night in prison. "C-Can I talk to you about something?" he asked, frowning.

Jordan started at him for awhile before turning around, crossing her arms over her chest, forcing her weight on one foot. "About what?"

"I-…Its hard to explain-"

"On with it!"

"It…it feels like something's been…watching me."


End file.
